The City of Sitka has officially declared a Disaster Emergency, following the August 18 storm with brought seven landslides down in the community, and killed three people.
The assembly met in regular session last Friday at 8 PM in city hall and passed the resolution. It describes significant damage to borough and state roads, buildings, and other infrastructure; unstable ground conditions and a lack of geological expertise to assess all affected areas; and the evacuation and sheltering of residents.
The resolution goes on to say that while all local resources are being directed to respond to the emergency, the situation exceeds the ability of the City of Sitka to adequately safeguard life and property. It also states that damages from the event will exceed the financial ability of the city to “stabilize and facilitate the recovery process.”
The resolution asks the governor to declare a state Disaster Emergency, and to provide direct assistance to the municipal government and the public as appropriate.
Meanwhile, recovery work at the Kramer Avenue slide has been suspended since last Friday evening, as another storm swept through Sitka over the weekend. A voluntary evacuation request remains in effect for neighborhoods immediately below the slide, on Whale Watch and Sand Dollar Drives, and south Kramer Avenue.
